A Decade (and more) of waiting :What this division title means to Texans fans

Anyone who grew up in Houston has stories about how gloomy their football existence has been. The Oilers were bad for a really long time until Earl Campbell came around and gave Houston one of its most memorable times as a city during the Luv Ya Blue era. Alas, Campbell and that team’s success flamed out way too soon.

After the Campbell/Pastorini/Bum era, we endured some awful football and that includes the great Warren Moon who didn’t have more TDs than INTs until his fourth year with the Oilers. However, the Oilers slowly reloaded their roster with some great drafts and they were primed to do great things with one of the deepest and most talented roster in the NFL. So what happened? Nothing. That’s what happened. TheOilers were 2-6 in the playoffs from 1988-1993 and failed to reach their sizable potential.

From there, the Oilers traded Warren Moon, trusted Cody Carlson with the starting job and Bud Adams pissed off the entire city with his demands for a new stadium. Before you knew it, the team that many of us grew up cheering for was gone.

Fast forward to 2002 and Houston has a football team but the first pick of the draft ends up being David Carr rather than Julius Peppers. I’m not saying that Peppers was the lead-cinch lock because Carr and Joey Harrington were both considered to be in the mix as best prospects in the draft, but it was quite a foreshadowing of questionable personnel decisions that would haunt this team, city and fan-base for almost a decade.

T.J. Yates and crew are headed to the postseason. (Smiley N. Pool/Chronicle)

These Texans will hurt you

The Texans now feature a defense that has a front seven that plays like they are the undead, clawing and grabbing for every drop of blood that they can get from their victims. They don’t stop. They push, pull, crawl and scramble their way to the quarterback and ball carrier. And these aren’t Walking Dead zombies who are slow and easy to kill. The Texans are 28 Days Later undead who would haul ass after you (yes, you need to click this link). They play like they are infected with rage just like in 28 Days. I love it. The running backs and offensive line is no different. They try to wring every last half yard out of each run.

And how about T.J. Yates? Does he have accuracy issues? Yes. Did he take some sacks he shouldn’t have yesterday? Yes. Did he remain poised in the fourth quarter – a time in the game when the Texans have failed far too often? Yes. With every injury the Texans overcome and with every gutsy performance they become even more beloved by the fans here in the city. This team has some of the same vibe that I used to get from the 93-94 Rockets. They fly under the national radar, they play great defense and they always seem to show more heart than you are expecting.

So this is what having a winning team on a Sunday afternoon in December feels like

I don’t care how old or young you are, watching the Texans clinch the division title with a tremendous road win against the Bengals was something special. I’ve been waiting to see playoff football here in Houston since 1993 just as many of you guys have and that is a long, long time. Hell, we’ve been waiting that long for just a consistently competitive team, forget the playoffs!

My 7-year-old son who lives and dies football and who stays up late to watch Monday Night Football with me (at least the first half) was grounded from watching the Texans yesterday because he hadn’t taken care of his schoolwork on time. When the Texans scored the game winning TD against the Bengals, I ran outside to tell Alec, and I found him with a big smile on his face as he had been watching the entire 4th quarter from window outside. Needless to say, I didn’t tell mom.

I’ve always believed that it is the highs and the lows that create a love affair between a fan and his team. You have to experience the gut-punching lows so that the highs/success become that much sweeter. That is one of the reasons that I make sure my kids watch the bad losses as well because the greatest enjoyment a team can give you is when they persevere. Sure, the Texans haven’t even won a playoff game in their history, but for the first time in the franchise’s existence, fans finally have a “high” to go with the lows. Now we get to see how much higher this team can take the city.

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Blog entries from the past

October 28th, 2007 – This was a very, very poor effort by the Texans and was a game where they had five turnovers and gave up two defensive touchdowns in a 25 point loss to the Chargers. This game is also known as the game where “Matt Turk fell down trying to kick a ball out of the endzone after it was snapped over his head”.

October 5th, 2008 – No team over the last ten years has brutalized the Texans quite like the Indianapolis Colts so when the Texans blew this second half lead at home to the Colts, it disappointed us all. You may not know what game I’m talking about until I drop the “Rosencopter” on you.

November 23rd, 2009 - In the past, it seems like every time the Texans had a chance to get over the hump, they failed miserably. I wrote this entry before the Monday Night Football game against the Titans imploring the Texans to seize the moment. Instead, we know this one as “Vince Young fans are going to be insufferable and Kris Brown has lost all confidence”.

November 29th, 2009 - After a series of close losses including this game where the Texans had yet another 4th quarter lead against the Colts only to get outscored 21-7 in the 4th and lose once again, I felt like Kubiak’s fate might have been sealed. Some of the kids call this one that one time “when Dunta Robinson was celebrating after a tackle and Peyton Manning quick-snapped him and threw a pass down the field for a first down while the Robinson and the defense was out of position…. celebrating a tackle.”

November 2nd, 2010 – I’ve never had any doubt that Gary Kubiak knows what he is doing on offense, but it has bothered me at times that he seems to be a slave to “balance” when clearly the running game should be featured. After yet another loss to the Colts, I decided to write an entry what basically asked “WTF are you doing, Kubiak? Just run it!”

November 7th, 2010 – There is nothing worse that watching the Texans come out and have a strong first half only to see them totally tank in the second half while also getting away from the running game that got them the lead in the first place. You might know this one as another loss to the Chargers, but I remember it as “that one game where Dre bumbled the pass and it turned into an interception at the end of the game.”

December 14th, 2010 – This entry wasn’t directly related to any one game. Instead, I focused on how very difficult it was for the Texans to finish with a losing season despite having an offense that was that prolific. This entry is known as “the one where we look at how a very good offense can be trumped by an historically bad defense”.

December 26th, 2010 – Even though the Texans were on their way to a losing record, I think we all thought they could handle the Denver Broncos and rookie starter Tim Tebow. The stress of this stinker season was getting the best of me. Let’s just call this entry “he didn’t know that Tim Tebow was magical and the Chosen One”.

April 22nd, 2011- I call them like I see them and I might do it with a little more emotion that others, but I’m not a whiner and complainer. There is nothing worse in life than someone who is a 1st round draft pick at complaining but offers no solutions or answers. In this entry before this year’s draft, I put together my plan for building the Texans if I were GM of the Texans. Looks like Rick Smith and I had similar ideas.

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Audio anger from the past (radio rants)

I’ve been writing about the Texans for the last five years here on Chron.com and I’ve been hosting sports talk shows ever since the Texans kicked off for the first time. When the Texans lose, I talk about it and listen to others talk about for far longer than just about anyone else in the city. I supposed you could call me a therapist, but I get just as upset about the Texans as my “patients” do. I remember back in 2006 when the Texans lost at home to the Titans and Vince Young and I lost my mind during my radio show:

This little rant happened during December of 2008 when the Titans were on their way to winning the division while the Texans were once again spinning their wheels. There are two things that stood out to me when re-listening to this. First off, I meant every word I said about just wanting to find ways to win and not caring how it came about. I love that this version of the Texans can win ugly. Secondly, it’s pretty strange to see how quickly “winning” teams like the Dolphins and Titans have fallen off.

86 Responses

Lance its a good thing the Texans won the division but its a bad thing because Kubiak will get an extension after this season. I believe one winning season in a weak division doesn’t make you a good coach especially after you had five years to prove it. I just believe Mcnair should see how next season shapes out with Manning possibly returning and a much harder schedule than this season but I guess the playoffs will show us if Kubiak can coach or not. I also think there will be a quarterback controversy next season true Schaub shouldn’t lose his job due to injury but Yates has look better than Schaub in three games as compared to Schaub over the past two seasons. The minute Schaub starts to turn the ball over and we struggle against the good teams fans will start to call for Yates its sort of the Tebow effect, but the Houston version not saying Yates is Johnny Unitas but its no way Schaub would have made that play with his feet like Yates did on third down. I heard you mention about Yates accuracy issues so do you think we should draft a quarterback for the future RG3 would be ideal for this offense but that won’t happen in Houston but somewhere down the line this team must take a franchise quarterback if the Super Bowl is in the cards. At the end of the day it seems the Texans are just trying to get to the playoffs and not really make any noise because we are playing a rookie I know it has worked with other teams but Kurt Warner and Hosteller where not rookies but after ten years we will take anything but we need the running game to get on track by the playoffs.

Let’s say Peyton Manning was healthy this season. At worst, we’d have one more loss (to Indy). At 9-4, we’d still be at the very least a Wild Card playoff contender. Would that finally put to rest these “weak division” complaints? What more can the Texans do? they probably should have beated the Raiders, but road losses to the Saints and Ravens – both of whom will be a top-two seed in the playoffs – are nothing to be ashamed of. Especially as they came early in the season while the defense was still learning Wade’s system. We also LED in those games. Weak or strong division, the Texans are a good team. Kubiak has kept them pushing forward dspite critical injuries. He’s easily 1, 1a with Harbaugh for Coach of the year. If you blamed him for everything in the past, you have to give him at least the benefit of the doubt now.

last year, I was close to calling for Kubiak’s head. But I wanted to see one more year because I thought we were close and didn’t want to set the team back with a total scheme change (unless Cowher was coming out of retirement). I think Kubiak has shown better in-game mangement than ever before (late game clock, challenges, going for it on 4th downs etc.) We’re also seeing the full power of his zone blocking scheme that, like Denver in the 90′s, creates league-leading running backs out of thin air.

You can argue that Kubiak needed better personnel – but what coach doesn’t?
You can argue that Kubiak needed better assitant coaches and coordinators – what coach doersn’t?

10-3 and division champs has nothing to do with the topics I brought up I mention it’s a good thing. I’m not sure what you are talking about but if you just don’t won’t to hear you should say such but don’t pass it off like I have a agenda or crazy because I believe those are valid points and you know it. I never dissed anyone but winning a division in a weak division after five years doesn’t make you Tom Landry. Lance tell me exactly what I said that’s sad or wrong?

You haven’t had a single comment that has dealt with anything other than Matt Schaub and the QB play. You’ve never once said, “man those guys are really firing off the ball” or “I’m very surprised the Texans are getting this production from Reed and Barwin” or “Kubiak has been better than I expected even though I haven’t fully bought into him yet.”

If you are a fan of the Texans, then how are you never talking about the wins and the positives EVER? In fact, you have disappeared for most of the winning streak. If you aren’t a fan of the Texans, then you are just trolling to piss people off since you don’t like the team anyway. Which one is it?

Lance how do we decipher the truth from trolling all I’m doing is saying what most people are afraid to say and although this season is great we have to be realistic about some things in the future. I am a fan of the Texans but honestly they didn’t look good in the win against the Bengals so going forward in the playoffs its going to be tough because we still are playing 30 minutes of football so don’t pass it off all the time that Im hating when Im telling the truth. As far as me not commenting when they have been winning thats not true because some of your post where about the Aggies and other things not related to the Texans, but just because I always comment about Schaub doesn’t make me a bad person I just know he is not the guy to lead us to the Super Bowl so whats wrong with wanting RG3 and please don’t tell me Yates is better than RG3. In my opinion Lance if this is trully the year for the Texans after ten years of futility why would you go with the kid instead of trying to get a veteran to lead this team(Donovan Mcnabb). On the surface when you are trying to win with a rookie it just seems the organization is trying to prove that drafting Yates was a good choice and just getting to the playoffs and losing in the first round is acceptable but once again thats my opinion. Next season is going to be huge for this organization we have to pay Mario, and Arian and decide which direction we are going to as far as quarterback and sign some key free agents to help us get over the hump with such a tough schedule next season.

You never tell the truth about anything other than the QB position? You never tell the truth about the defense doing well or the coaching being solid this year or the running game or the offensive line?

….I believe one winning season in a weak division doesn’t make you a good coach.

OK Chris this is just plain stupid. Note that even if the Texans were in the same division with the Ravens, Steelers and Bengals they would be tied for first with the Ravens and Steelers, each with 10-3 records. And they have beaten both the Steelers and Bengals. So the weakness of the division has little to do with how good the Texans are.

And as for Manning coming back to the Colts next year. Hey there were on the verge of collapse last year with Manning. The Colts were only 10-6 and did not look that good and the Texans flattened them the first game. Even if Manning had played this year I think they would have only been a 9-7 team and the Texans would still be 10-3 at this point.

As for Kubiak coaching you obliviously don’t know the first thing about football. His plays and play calling is so superior to just about everyone else it is startling. Most of our wins can be attributed to the plays that were called by Kubiak. I cringe when watching other teams trying to get a few yards or score on the goal line compared to the creative plays that Kubiak comes up with.

To Houstonians, fans that reside in Harris County, it means self respect…because of the notice the networks give the city…you can bet next year the Texans will be on MNF and be in the featured game on SNF…I remember the Oilers being on Monday nights in the 70′s and it was quite an event

Well, this is the problem. The fact that you say something that’s contrarian has nothing to do with whether it’s true or not. And here’s something else: belief doesn’t have anything to do with the truth, either. There are things a lot of people believe that aren’t remotely true, and some things are true that hardly anyone believes. It takes sound reasoning and most importantly, evidence.

whos saying yates is better than RG3? no one. however, i do have a question for you- hows your boy kevin kolb doing this year? whats that? *crickets* thats what i thought. you say kevin kolb is better than schuab? not only is that a stupid beyond comparison statement, but the way the season has played out, even with schuab and kolb hurt, we can see who the better QB is clearly. and its clearly NOT kolb.

taking mcnabb? really dude? are you that freaking clueless about sports? mcnabb is a CANCER in the locker room. you think hell be better here than he was in washington? a place in which he got demoted and cut? oh, by the way, he got cut playing in a system that is almost IDENTICAL to the texans. yeah, real good argument there genius.

so what do you have to say about the defense? seriously, you act like a QB is the only thing that wins games. guess what, defense has won us games this year. lets take a look at the top 7 teams in the NFL and compare their defensive ranks…

GB- 31
SF- 5
BAL- 3
NO- 27
Pitt- 2
NE- 32
Hou- 1

ah but WAIT! the stats get better. want to win championships? control the clock, stop the run, and keep the other team from scoring points. wanna know what ranks each of these defenses are in those categories? the only team not in the top 15 in points per game is NO, and all 7 teams are in the top 15 in rushing defense. in passing yards per game? heres the bottom 3- NO, GB, NE. so basically, even a 3rd string QB could throw on all 3 of those defenses, making it easier to move the ball. wanna know about the other 4 teams? all 4 are top 10 pass defenses.

so, lets recap- texans have top defense, top 3 rush defense, top 5 in pass defense, top 10 offense, top 3 rush offense, top 10 pass offense. TOP was the only thing i couldnt find. how much do you wanna wager that the texans are top 1-3 in TOP?

THAT right there, is how you win championships. its a team game dude. aaron rodgers is a great QB- but come playoff time, GB defense will be a liability and they will end up losing. Brady, another great QB. guess what? NE defense is AS BAD OR WORSE as last years texans defense. you put houston vs NE right now, NE doesnt win that game unless its in the snow and below 10 degrees. they cant stop the pass or the run.

we all know your not a texans fan. if you are, youve got to be the worst fan ever. read the stats, take a class on football, sit down, shut up, and enjoy the ride.

I completely agree that you have to suffer thru the bad to DESERVE the good.
Having grown up a loyal Houston sports fan,its been a trying life to say the least. Johnny Winter sang “Serves me right to suffer” in a song I find appropriate. Its easy to get caught up when they are winning & just as easy to walk away when they arent. It aint easy to suffer the hard times & yet watch every play hoping for some way for them to pull out a victory,knowing in your heart it cant happen. I had those feelings Sunday but they showed character,fortitude,desire & did not quit. At the end I was screaming,We got a real chance to pull this out & they did. Yates may not be perfect but he has some intangibles that cant be measured too. Kinda like that guy in Denver. Not comparing overall ability,just the want to factor. Could this be a team of Destiny? Only time will tell. They say a rookie cant win, but they keep saying that guy in Denver cant do things either. Any way you look at it we got a lot of FIRSTS happening to this team & that can breed more character. This team could make some noise before its over & get some respect but the only respect they need is right at home. Been waiting a long time for this,dont have a lot left so I need this team to do well.
OOOOOOOORRRRRAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

LZ,you’re favorite blackjack dealer here. We have’nt chatted for awhile (my bad)but now’s a good time thanks to this great, crazy, over the top run by our boys. Everybody here knows how I feel ’cause I’ve always got my Texans gear on, not to mention the sweet tickets I’ve been cashing week after week. Been following your blogs and let me say you’re up to your usual high standards. When I get back to Houston, gosh it’s been at least three years, dinners on me for you and your brood at your favorite Mexican or BBQ joint. Don’t worry about the tab, just check out the Golden Gate pick-six I just nailed Sunday. Keep up the good work and GO TEXANS!!!

Excellent article, Lance. You are absolutely correct about a fans personal history with a team. The new crop of “fans” who are scrambling to find Texans division championship gear while at the same time talking about the greatness of DeMarco Bryant and JJ Yates and Ryan Cushing will be the first ones to strip off that gear and spew the Same Old Texans mantra if we get rolled in the 1st round. I try to temper my optimism by reminding myself we are still depending on a 5th round rookie QB and are blessed with a never ending injury list (Mike Briesel? Are you kidding me?). Even if our playoff run does not make it past the first game, it is not the Same Old Texans. The excitement I feel about this team was bought with years of frustration. I was in the Dome when the Run and Shoot worked for the first time and UH beat UT 60-40 (although the UH defense scored almost half of those points). The run of Pardee’s Cougar teams was so much sweeter because I still remember Joe Montana ripping my guts out when I was a kid watching the Cotton Bowl (my surgically repaired guts didn’t have to wait long for their next punch courtesy of Lorenzo Charles).The Astros World Series sweep was disappointing but, because it was built on the backs of the 81 and 86 playoff disappointments, that was still my favorite season. By the way, still among my least favorite things, Tug McGraw, Mookie Wilson and check swing doubles.Driving home down Richmond Ave the night the Rockets won their 1st championship, horns blaring (mine included), parties at every street corner, I couldn’t help but feel that part of the joy I felt was that my most prominent Rocket memory no longer involved Jerry Sichsting. So I’m going to enjoy this Texans’ run no matter how far it goes. I haven’t felt this good since the morning after 19-10.

Great post. I moved to Houston in late 2005, so the 2006 season was my first watching this team. Prior to that I didn’t really care much for the Texans. Actually, you could say I hated them. They had no identity, boring to watch and the red socks on their uniforms pissed me off.
Anyway, I was at that 2006 Titans game and even while not being a fan of the team, that really felt like a huge low point for the franchise…maybe the lowest. It’s nice to see the way the franchise has rebounded. Let’s hope this is the start of consecutive years of competitive football

tremendous piece lance. i went through misery and anger during the warren moon days. I didn’t speak to my family for weeks after the oilers blew the 32 point lead and ultimately lost to the bills. those too young to remember, i pray they dont have to endure a painful stretch of tough playoff losses as we endured. I hope this is a different era we’re about to embark upon with this new brand of houston football.

I think cutting Mason was a major change of philosophy for Kubiak. He went from “We-need-his veteran-presence-mode “ to “We-don’t-need-a-guy-who drops-2-passes-in-a-key-game-mode”. I think this says something about how much more confidence Kubiak has in his own abilities now.

Just curious, but should we pay close attention to Whitney Mercilus from Illinois and Marvin McNutt from Iowa in their bowl games as potential Texans picks?

As always you are a great read. I am one of the many who has been through it all with Houston’s sports teams and I can truly say only one feeling will be better than the Cincy game and that would be the SB. Go Texans!!

LZ- this is why I love to read your articles they feel like I wrote them. I agree so much that as a fan you need to watch the bad games to truly enjoy the good ones. Great job as always and glad your back on the airwaves (even if it’s on 790) Go Texans!

This is definitely one of my favorite reads in a while. I watched at home with my 2 boys (3 and 4). For most of the game they were not paying any attention, but my emotions in the 4th quarter rubbed off on them, especially during that last drive. A mini chest bump session ensued, their idea.
I have had season tickets from the get go, and have been to every regular season home game (A streak that I am proud of; the wife, not so much). To finally have them come through as they have this year definitely means a lot. I can’t wait to see what’s to come.

That’s the great thing. Kids feed off of that energy and they will get into it along with you. They start having fun. Now, if things start going badly then it’s “please just go to the other room – NOW!”

HAHAHA. LZ…so true. I’m glad to see I’m not a dysfunctional parent for sending my kids out of the room when things go south with the Texans. Thankfully, my girls have been able to finish many, many more Texans game with their over-excitable father this year.

So after I grew up in Houston and living there for 30 years, I move to ST. Louis and NOW they win. Oh-well.

THANK YOU SO MUCH TEXANS!!
I have made it thru…
Tony Boselli; Tony Banks; Matt Stevens (anyone remember him… uhg); David Carr
audible’s on a Monday night football game and Ray Lewis telling the team
“he is going to run right here.”; Chris Palmer getting fired 2 games into the
season; the RB out of G-tech we took in the 2 round supplemental draft (Tony Hollings(?))..and on and on and on…

This feels so good to actually think we have a chance. I don’t mean, if’s and
but’s, I mean, We should kick the living snot out of this team.
No more LZ crying about watching Reggie Bush score TD’s against Fresno State.

Just good players, playing good football with a GREAT outcome.

Thank you Andre for staying, Rick Smith for drafting, Bob McNair for paying and
Coach K for getting a great staff together.
Oh, and $crew you cowboy Steve and Titan Rick.

So it’s early and this is the first year for the Texans to make the play-offs, so at thsi point, I’m just happy to see them make it.

But I will say that I hope the Texans have a better run then the Oilers did and certainly hope that they do not have the same disappointments as the Broncos losses, the Joe Montana led KC loss, and the game which I shall not mention by name, but it was the one in which they blew a, ahem, sizable lead.

Again, I know there is no way to predict future outcomes especially with no playoff history for the Texans, but can you briefly discuss differences you see in the Texans from teh Oilers that might help us have an idea of how things might be different in future playoff appearances.

I would say one is offensively, the Texans run the ball better and have more balance than the Oilers run and shoot, which might be more conducive to success in the playoffs, especially against cold weather teams.

I would say defensively the Texans are better but the Oilers had some good ‘D’, especially that 12-4 team led by Buddy Ryan. I thought for sure they would make a run, but Montana shot them down.

What do you think? Does the make up of this team and philosophy scheme wise compared to the Oilers give you any “gut feelings” either way about future playoff success?

I am a 40+ -year-old native Houstonian. So I have experienced pretty much every low point (and high point) in modern Houston sports history. UH-NC State, Buffalo, a hand full of Astros playoff disappointments, Choke City (and thankfully, Clutch City), and the far-less epic, but very recent UH botch job in the C-USA championship game.

When it comes to the king of sports in Houston, in my heart, I will always first and foremost be an Oilers fan. That said, this year’s version of the Texans reminds me in many ways of those Luv Ya Blue teams. A cast of distinct characters who seem to genuinely enjoy playing with each other, and most important, are genuinely accountable to each other.

Even when Schaub went down, among many other injuries, it was clear that there was too much at stake inside the locker room to allow failure to become an option. Leinart’s brief appearance and move to a rookie 5th rounder were not even enough to derail a group of professionals who had (finally) learned to rely on each other.

My only hope is that these guys preserve an “us against the world” mentality. They can’t let things like a post-division-clinching pep rally get into their heads. There is much work yet to be done.

Although I have had plenty of beefs with the Texans management and business practices in the past (and still will in the future), my only concern now is for the guys in the locker room. Because these guys who strap on the pads and helmets seem to have their eyes on the prize. And it is they who should begin to define this franchise anew.

What’s the matter you never follow the Rockets. Heart of a Champion, the famous Kiss of Death game, two NBA World Championships. How about the Dynamo and their championships. Astros in the World Series.

Great read, Lance. You are spot on with your perspective of long time Oiler and Texan fans and putting this thing in context. What a fun season this has turned out to be.
By the way, who let the flies in? Don’t Chris and Victor know there’s a Cowboy carcass nearby?

I almost threw up after the 06 VY OT game. I was furious. SO MANY TEXANS FANS CHEERING FOR THE TITANS(VY). so many similar losses that i remember my exact emotions, where i was, the heart sinking self loathing WHY?! WHENS GON’ BE MY TIME!? feels like ages ago.

It’s hard to explain, but immediately before TJ threw the game winning touchdown pass, a calm rushed over me and I couldn’t help but smile while taking in the moment. My friends and I celebrated like giddy school kids… with lone star tall boys. Almost instantly my brother facetimed me for a stereotypical mac commercial moment, followed by my father calling me. “Can you believe it?!” he said. You’re damn right i can.

In the meantime Texans fans, lets worry about Schaub/Yates 2012 in 2012. Enjoy this as much as I am. TEXANS GEAR ON ALL WEEK.

Lance what is your honest thoughts on the design of plays under Kubiak this year. As I stated in another post I cringe when I see other teams try to gain a yard or two or score in the red zone. Kubiak, to me, appears to be more creative. The number of times the receiver is wide open is astonishing. How easily we score in the red zone is a tribute to Kubiak and his play calling. Do you see the same thing?

Without the bowl games happening yet, no senior bowl , no combine, etc.,I know it is really early for this talk, but I’m curious of your thoughts on the draft. I would say that our biggest needs are WR and CB as 1a/1b. NT and OLB are spots where we need a rotation type player. A big run stuffing NT for run situations, and a FAST OLB for pass downs. I think the NT/OLB are positions where we don’t need a “complete” player, but someone who does 1 thing really well. Those seem like perfect 3rd/4th round situations. As for the 1st and 2nd rounds, seems like the WR/CB spots are the way to go unless there is a real good “best available”. Wanted to know your thoughts on a couple prospects form each postion and who would you take if they all happened to be available.
WR – Jeffrey(SC), Sanu (Rutgers), Floyd(ND)
CB – Alfonzo Dennard, Janorice Jenkins
NT – Taamu, Poe
OLB – Upshaw, Zach Brown.

I won’t go into prospects yet because I’m way behind this year, but to me, the three priorities for the Texans that need to be addressed within the first three rounds are the same as you have. The exact same.

I am savoring the Division Title, but looking at the AFC I want more. Even with TJ at QB, I think the Texans have a shot against Balt, Pitt or NE. What impact will losing Briesel have on the O-line, both running game and pass pro?

Brisiel hurts because he and Winston work so well together with their combo blocks and getting that kind of consistency from a newcomer (relatively speaking) will be a challenge this late in the year, but it is certainly possible.

has schaub every had a game winning drive in the last seconds? tj tebow came up big time sunday and i am happy for all the team but especially andre,kubs,ryans,mario,od,winston, .. i just wish pitts was still on the team .. they finally got over the hump and in the words of kevin garnett…ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!!!!!!!!

Has Schaub ever had a game-winning drive? Yes. How could you forget the Redskins & Chiefs games last year? Or the Miami & Green Bay games in 2008? and how could you have forgotten the Pittsburgh game from THIS YEAR already? He’s has 7 so far and would have had more if the defense had been able to hold onto the lead in the Jets & San Diego games just last year. I could go on but I won’t. I can’t cure your short term memory loss.

Lance, with Phillips taking off the next two weeks for a medical procedure, and the recent articles about there being a good chance he may land another head coaching job somewhere next year, could we be getting a glimpse of our possible future DC in Reggie Herring these next two weeks? Sort of an audition if you will. I know it is pure speculation (not to mention the competition is pretty weak these next 2 games) but Im curious your thoughts. I wonder if Kubiak would even want to risk giving the keys to the defense to someone without NFL DC experience again after the last disaster (Bush).

Possibly, but I think the Texans could look in a different direction. I wasn’t in love with what Herring did at Arkansas the last time he was DC. Too much press coverage. I like that Wade has mixed up his coverages so well. We’ll see. Maybe I’ll be impressed by what I see. I think Herring has done a great job with the LBs this year.

Great post. I have to tell you it’s all still sinking in for me; I try to keep an even keel and remain as objective as possible, but two years ago I starting losing hope the Texans could make it with Kubiak at the helm. I’m delighted that he and the team exceeded my expectations.

The Houston Metroplex is a fabulous place to reside in when we have teams in the playoffs. What I appreciate most is the positivity and camaradie that infuses everyone as the excitement builds.

It’s been a long haul waiting for the NFL playoffs to finally come for the Texans, but I just want to tell you I appreciate all the info and to and fro on your blog (and Twitter) these past few years. I look forward to the draft talk every year; but for the first time in Texans franchise history, I’ll be living in the present come January rather than looking to the future.

The Texans have had to grind out wins and suffer a few grinding losses this year, but I don’t get the feeling that they’re necessarily feeling the mental fatigue that teams often do at this point of the season. I believe their youth and just plain excitement and confidence about being “good” for the first time has trmpted the fatigue. Personally, I could see the adrenaline running throughout the playoffs for them, no matter if/when they get beat (by a better team, not themselves).

To me, adrenaline is over once you get to the playoffs against teams like the Steelers, Ravens and Patriots. I mean, we are talking about three teams who have been there and done that. They know what to expect and how to prepare as well as how to react within the game when things go poorly or well. The regular season is one thing, but the postseason? Brand new ballgame.

My team was crazy- good during the year, but I got killed by the injury bug….McFadden and Fred Jackson(my workhorse) both out. It changed my team from a running to a throwing….I also have Hernndez (NE) Vick, Tebo, Sanchez, Bears, Karsay…I had Toby the past three weeks, so it hasn’t been terrible. Thanks for the advice.

I, for one, am just enjoying the fact that my team doesn’t suck and that we are playing significant games in December. I’ve been waiting for this since before I was able to buy a beer (legally) and I’m 37 now. For anyone who is crying about how it’s a weak division, Schaub sucks, it’s a fluke…blah blah blah, all I can say is shut your mouth and enjoy what we have going here.

The defense is outstanding (first time since the House of Pain), we have a rookie QB that is easy to root for (and he’s good!), and we have one of the top 3 RB’s in all of football. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come for the next 4 or 5 years, at least.